DK Ravi Death Case: Will Send Case Back To CBI, Says Karnataka CM

Agencies

PTI

NEW DELHI — Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that his government will send the request for an inquiry into the death of IAS officer DK Ravi back to the Central Bureau of Investigation, after the agency refused to investigate the case.

"The CBI has sent the case back, stating that it will not undertake its investigation if put condition like that. We will send it again to CBI," Siddaramaiah told the media.

Earlier, the CBI refused to investigate the case, citing the deadline of three months imposed by the state government.

Ravi, who took on the sand mafia in Karnataka's Kolar District, was an Additional Commissioner on deputation with the Commercial Tax department. He was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his house by his wife last month.

CBI has turned down the request of Karnataka Government seeking a time-bound probe in the alleged suicide of IAS officer D K Ravi, saying there is no provision in law to complete investigations in a given period.

CBI sources said here today that a communication has been sent to Department of Personnel and Training requesting for a fresh notification to takeover probe in Ravi's death.

They said once fresh notification is received, the agency will examine the matter whether to takeover probe or not in the controversial death which has snowballed into a major political controversy in Karnataka.

The sources said the notification received from the DoPT has come with a request to complete to the probe within three months which was not according to law.

They said state government handing over probe to CBI cannot give time limit for concluding the probe, hence a fresh notification has been sought from the state government.

The death of Ravi, who took on land mafia and realtors, spiralled into a major controversy after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah initially refused to seek a CBI probe in the case. The case was being probed by Karnataka CID.

Opposition parties and activists then mounted pressure on the state government demanding that the investigation in the case be handed over to CBI.

The decision to transfer the probe to CBI come after Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote in March to Ravi's wife promising a fair and transparent probe into the incident.

This came after Ravi's mother reportedly wrote an open letter to her seeking an impartial probe.

Siddaramaiah had said there had never been a case where an incident had straightaway been referred to CBI immediately after its occurrence.

With the federal set-up in the country, the Centre could not refer a case suo motu to CBI and could do so based on a state's request, he had said.

The state government had maintained that Ravi's death prima facie seemed to be a case of suicide, but the opposition parties and the family of the IAS officer have refused to accept the theory.

Ravi's family had raised doubts over the police claim that he committed suicide, saying that he was under "political pressure".